


Near Misses

by lindsey_grissom



Series: tumblr drabbles [3]
Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, because Ric as a matchmaker is only beaten by hanssen as a matchmaker, set during Bernie's return
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 17:18:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9247676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lindsey_grissom/pseuds/lindsey_grissom
Summary: Kill List episode tag: Ric finds himself in the unenviable position of holding Serena's future happiness in his hands. He doesn't like it at all.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something mistressdickens asked for after Kill List. (One of three things she asked for but who’s counting right?). A little peak at that conversation between Ric and Bernie before superhero Jason stepped in and fixed things.

If this is what it means to be CEO then Ric’s not sure he wants the job.

He’s only been temporarily in charge for a few weeks and already he’s had the death of a board member, the resignation of one of the hospital’s most aclaimed surgeons and at least three emails from Serena asking him what the hell he’s doing. He’s fairly certain she’s joking, although it’s always hard to tell with Serena when it comes to the running of her beloved Holby.

And now Ms Wolfe is back and Ric had foolishly let himself believe Serena’s attentions could be happily focused elsewhere to let him wallow alone.

It seems he had overestimated them both.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” He asks the pacing trauma surgeon. For a moment he’s reminded of Lady Macbeth with the way she’s wringing her hands, out damn spot indeed - if Ms Wolfe goes through with this, they’ll all be mopping up blood for the foreseeable future. There won’t be enough Shiraz in the world to drown Serena’s heart in this time.

The woman has only been back for a few hours; how has it gone so badly so fast? He can’t believe this is Serena’s doing, he has no doubt her heart was visible the moment Bernie appeared again; she never has been good at hiding that away. But it’s been equally obvious, now that he has had the hindsight to look back over past interactions, that Ms Wolfe is not unaffected by her colleague either.

He wonders what Hanssen would do and then shakes his head. He’s sat through too many tipsy rants from Serena these last few weeks to not know she partially blames the man for her current state; perhaps that’s not a helpful example to follow now.

Still, if this is what Ms Wolfe…

“It’s not…of course it’s not what I want. But…it’s for the best. I think. It was…it was a mistake to come back, she- I mean…the ward, it’s uh…it’s getting along fine and-”

He wonders if it’s his place to point out all the ways in which ‘the ward’ has most certainly not got along fine in her absence - and these women, what with Serena’s ‘the hospital’ and now Bernie’s ‘the ward’ no more will Serena get away with teasing him for his ability to waffle around the point instead of implementing her lauded straight talk - but decides it probably isn’t. He’s temporary CEO not a yenta.

Still, he doesn’t have to go the whole Hanssen hog and actually find Ms Wolfe a position.

“Perhaps you should take some time, you’ve only been back on AAU for a few hours. Allow the jetlag to pass.”

“I do not have jet-”

“What does Ms Campbell think of this?”

Silence. As he suspected - and he would have to be as blind to romance as Serena teases him he is, to miss the pain in the woman’s eyes - and then;

“I don’t suppose she would object.”

He can’t help the eyebrow that rises, but he does manage to hold back the scoff. When everything is sorted, he is going to get a lot of mileage out of this.

“I can certainly look into transfers to another hospital, Ms Wolfe. If that’s still what you want. But-” He adds as she begins to thank him. “I really do think you should give this some more thought tonight.”

“I won’t change my mind.”

Ric nods, this will all be on Serena then. He wishes her all the luck he can.

“I’ll leave you to discuss the matter with Ms Campbell, then. As co-lead she does deserve some advance warning, don’t you think?”

As Serena’s friend, he takes a little satisfaction in the paling of Ms Wolfe’s face before she finally paces back to his door and leaves.

No wonder Hanssen needed a break.

* * *

 

Hours later, before he leaves for the night, his phone beeps, lighting up and vibrating a little across his desk.

Finishing the last buttons on his jacket, he picks it up and thumbs through the lock until Serena’s name appears beneath the message icon.

_If you’ve found her a transfer I’m afraid I’ll have to hurt you_

He laughs, shakes his head and leans back against his desk to reply.

**_Ms Wolfe? All requests for transfers must be submitted in writing, which Ms Wolfe failed to do. I intended to remind her tomorrow. You know I insist on proper procedure_ **

He waits only seconds before his phone beeps again.

_I do love proper procedure. Next round’s on me x_

Perhaps he’s not so terrible at this CEO thing after all.


End file.
